Ukraine’s first Pride celebration banned for fear it will cause riots

Ukraine has been gearing up for their first LGBT pride, but unfortunately the plug was pulled as a court banned the rally in fear of violence against the Ukrainian LGBT community and their supporters.

The LGBT celebration was supposed to take place in Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, on Sunday, May 26, the same day as Kiev Day, where citizens celebrate their city.

The district court of Kiev made the ruling today because some city officials thought it would create a negative distraction for people celebrating Kiev Day.

This is the second year in a row the LGBT community in Ukraine has been disappointed; last year, Pride was cancelled at the very last minute by organizers because anti-gay protesters were gathering at the pride location and threatened to attack anyone who was going to attend the event.

Unlike in many other states and countries, LGBT rights and freedom don’t seem likely in Ukraine’s future.

Last week, the country’s Parliament dropped a bill that would have prevented people in the LGBT community from being discriminated against and harassed in the workplace, because anti-gay supporters protested it.

Ukraine’s current government is strongly pro-Russia, and conditions for the country’s LGBT community are much worse than in most of the rest of Europe, as Russia’s government is looking to pass laws that would ban LGBT “propaganda” in the name of protecting children; what would define propaganda is not clearly stated.

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